EA Sports FC 26 Devs Talk Player and Community Feedback

by

In our latest experience with EA Sports FC 26, we also had the opportunity to chat with a few developers.

In a recent conversation with Game Rant, EA Sports FC 26’s lead producer Andreas Wilsdorf and career mode design director Pete O’Donnell discussed the upcoming Switch 2, enhancements to the game mode, and their strategy for incorporating community feedback. For your convenience, the dialogue has been condensed and clarified.

EA Sports FC 26 on Switch 2

Interviewer: Could you expand a bit more on your positive impression of the Switch 2 from your presentation earlier?

As a thrilled enthusiast, let me share my thoughts: The Switch 2 has truly sparked my excitement! Being part of this platform alongside FC this year, it’s the performance that leaves me awestruck. It’s remarkably comparable to what we observe on PS5 and Xbox. Despite being a handheld console, my first experience with it left me genuinely impressed. Moreover, during its demonstration in simulation and season-simulating times, it was incredibly close to the performance I’ve witnessed in PlayStation and Xbox development kits. Truly impressive!

EA Sports FC 26’s Career Mode

Let’s dive into the career mode. Each aspect seems intriguing, as there doesn’t appear to be a single central focus. I’m curious, for everyone here, what has been the most thrilling or refreshing experience you’ve had while using career mode?

In my opinion, Manager Live stands as our top priority. This is because our game was launched in September, and since then, nothing much has altered. The unique advantage here is that we can modify and update the game on-the-fly. We can observe real-world football scenarios and offer diverse narratives to the audience. In addition to swift gaming segments, we have numerous other features that allow players to explore various possibilities. Essentially, it’s a playground where you create your unique story. I believe this will appeal to both seasoned players and those newcomers eager to experiment and be rewarded for their innovative approaches.

In simpler terms, Wilsdorf refers to Manager Market as a fresh concept in the game. Previously, we hadn’t incorporated anything similar, but now it significantly alters how strategies, clubs, and overall gameplay are approached. It’s quite intriguing to observe this development, and each time we test it, our curiosity is piqued about which manager might be involved.

Game Review: Are there any mechanisms or limits to prevent the game from becoming too chaotic? Are there any safety measures or boundaries?

O’Donnell: A significant portion of our work revolves around the caliber of the manager, the team, their objectives, and strategic aspects. We have numerous safeguards in place to ensure everything is in order. However, as Andreas mentioned during his talk, we secretly hope for some unexpected events – things that sound unbelievable. We want players to share stories like, ‘You’ll never guess what happened.’ We don’t advocate for managers like Guardiola moving to a fifth division team, as that wouldn’t be right, but we do appreciate unusual occurrences. There should be a sense of balance so the events seem intriguing enough for you to imagine an interesting tale. If you can’t find a reason behind what’s happening, then our goal hasn’t been achieved.

EA Sports FC 26 Player and Community Feedback

GameRant Question: Does Football Club (FC) 26 appear to address long-term player feedback effectively, and how agile are your plans for reacting to immediate player feedback, such as the speed at which changes can be made versus waiting until FC 27?

Wilsdorf emphasizes the significance of making enhancements throughout the year. In FC 25, we incorporated feedback from players, which we openly acknowledged as being their suggestions. One area where criticism was noted, we made improvements, and addressed it with a patch update. This is crucial to us, and we plan on continually upgrading the game over the course of the year.

O’Donnell: From now on, we can modify the game instantly and make adjustments in real-time, which will only become more effective over time. This means we’ll be able to implement more changes, addressing small requests from our community that we can easily incorporate into our next update. Our goal is to ensure the game matches the quality our community expects. Previously, there was some dissatisfaction about needing to fix issues and wait for a year to address them, versus wanting the fixes immediately. Now, with our new agility and flexibility, we no longer have to delay fixes, making it much better for everyone involved.

Game Development Insights: Can you elaborate on the benefits this transparency offers your team? How does it impact team spirit and the overall development workflow?

Wilsdorf: What makes it special is its ability to demonstrate our active engagement. We’re not tucked away in a hidden room, oblivious to what’s going on. Instead, we’re transparent and receptive, taking into account feedback from design councils, the community, and players over many years. For instance, we share our plans, updates, and insights with them. After all, we’re gamers too – I personally spend hundreds of hours on Career Mode every year, and I’m 42. I’ve been part of the Football Club journey since its very first game, so I aim to pass on that enthusiasm.

O’Donnell: I’m referring to minor details, yet they can be crucial. Sometimes, we might proceed with an idea in mind, then receive feedback that makes us think, ‘I hadn’t considered that.’ This can influence our players, prompting us to adjust accordingly. We strive to catch everything to ensure nothing is overlooked. The game is intricate and involves numerous systems, so when we hear comments from players or other designers about it, we pay close attention. If a solution is straightforward or minor, we can tackle it next week. However, some issues are complex and require more time, adding them to our list of tasks. Essentially, we’re eager to absorb all feedback as it generates more ideas, whether it comes from a few or many people discussing the same topic.

Game Rant: When discussing player and community feedback, how do we strike a balance between catering to these existing players while also welcoming a large number of newcomers who will join the game due to the World Cup? How can we effectively address both sets of feedback without alienating either group?

Wilsdorf: Engaging with FC has always been an intriguing conundrum. The game is colossal, and the community keeps expanding annually. We have dedicated players who understand every aspect of the game, as well as newcomers who might find it overwhelming. This year, we’ve made significant improvements in our tutorials, not just making them better quality, but also restructuring the task list within the game to allow a gradual learning experience over several weeks. Manager Live is particularly beneficial because we can disable certain features, offering ample chances for new players to ease into the game. We see numerous possibilities for welcoming new members in the future.

[END]

Read More

2025-08-04 19:36